By early 2025, more than 50,000 tech jobs have vanished worldwide, with companies citing artificial intelligence (AI) integration, cost-cutting, and broader downsizing as key reasons. But a viral post on professional forum TeamBlind is now challenging that narrative, arguing that AI isn’t replacing engineers—corporate hype is. The user says, “Everyone’s panicking about AI replacing engineers. My friends are scrambling to pivot into machine learning or prompt engineering. But if you understand AI, you’d know it’s nowhere near capable of replacing engineers. These tools break easily and struggle with anything beyond surface-level patterns. The real threat is the hype—it’s being used by executives as an excuse to slash headcount and eliminate teams they no longer want. AI isn’t taking your job—management is.” The post has ignited a wider conversation within tech circles, with responses revealing deep divisions over AI’s true impact.
“The definition of ‘team’ is changing”
One commenter countered, “There’s no hype. Tools like Cursor and Lovable are making developers 50% more efficient. That means companies need half the engineers to do the same work. The laid-off half re-enters the job market, increasing competition, which lowers salaries and raises unemployment. Add new grads into the mix, and we’re looking at a severe oversupply.” Another user questioned the logic, “If engineers become 50% faster and you cut half the team, you’re not operating at 100%—you’re delivering 75% of the original output. That’s a loss.” Others pointed to a shift in team dynamics, “The definition of ‘team’ is changing. With AI, a single senior engineer can now do what once took a team of eight. Instead of hiring juniors, companies are keeping a few high-level engineers who can manage AI-assisted workflows.” “Seniors paired with AI outpace juniors significantly,” one user noted.
“The feedback loop is faster, context switching is reduced, and iteration happens in seconds. As AI evolves, junior roles—and even career ladders—are being eroded.” Another user added, “I’ve used AI tools extensively. They’re already good enough to replace junior developers. Seniors might survive for now, but it’s only a matter of time.” As layoffs continue and tools grow more powerful, a new reality is emerging—where AI may not have replaced engineers yet, but it’s already redefining who gets hired, promoted, or let go.